Yahoo News Aston Villa's Champions League pulling power already on show as 'talks open' for €18m PSG man
Aston Villa have reportedly 'opened talks' with Paris Saint-Germain over the summer transfer of shunned midfielder Carlos Soler.
On Tuesday night Villa's Champions League qualification for the 2024/25 season was confirmed. It was the culmination of work dating back over the last 18 months - and even beyond - as the club have shown great recruitment skills to bring in a manager in Unai Emery and players capable to playing at that level.
However, European football's elite competition may require further additions in order to truly stand a chance of competing while maintaining such high standards in the Premier League. That is why L'Equipe believe the club are preparing a raid on Champions League semi-finalists PSG.
READ MORE: Emi Martinez breaks silence on Aston Villa Champions League qualification
READ MORE: When Aston Villa will discover their Champions League opponents confirmed
They claim that Villa chiefs have been in regular contact over the past few months regarding the availability of Soler. The Spanish midfielder moved to the French capital from boyhood club Valencia on summer transfer deadline day of 2022 for an €18m (£15.4m) fee.
He has since made 61 appearances for PSG, scoring seven goals and assisting eight while winning two Ligue 1 titles. Unfortunately though performances in a peripheral role as part of Luis Enrique's squad have not been up to scratch in the eyes of the Parc de Princes faithful and with boos ringing out around the ground during their latest home fixture, it seems his future elsewhere is all-but confirmed.
One final question in any potential deal being struck is PSG's evaluation of the player. Emery's former employers will no doubt wish to recoup all of the fee and more for a player who is under contract until 2027.
Villa will be in receipt of some lucrative Champions League prize money throughout the 2024/25 campaign, and so the experience of someone like Soler - who has appeared 34 times in total in the competition - would be an invaluable addition to Emery's ranks.
He becomes the third Spanish midfielder linked with Villa Park in recent weeks, following on from rumours involving Al-Ahli's Gabri Veiga and Villarreal's Alex Baena.
